Improvement in hay-presses



H. E. S'KILLIN.

Hay-Press.

Patented Feb. 9,1875;

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HENRY E. SKILLIN, OF POWN AL, MAINE, ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES A. I SHAW, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN HAY-PRESSES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 159,713, dated February 9, 1875; application filed January 18, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY E. SKILLIN, of Pownal, in the county of Cumberland, State of Maine, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Hay-Presses, of which the following is a description sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable any person skilled in the art or science to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, and which is an isometrical perspeclive view.

My invention relates to means for operating and securing the side doors of the press; and consists in a novel construction and arrangement of the parts, as hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed, by which a simpler, cheaper, and more effective device of this description is produced than is now in ordinary use.

On the 17th day of December, 1867, Letters Patent of the United States, numbered 72,221, were granted to one George Noyes, assignor, of Pownal, in the State of Maine, in which a hay-press is described upon which my invention is designed to be an improvement.

In the press of said Noyes the side doors are hinged at the top, and provided with friction rollers or wheels at their lower ends, working upon the main levers, in such a manner that when the long arms of the levers are drawn toward each other to ele vate the follower, the lower ends of the doors swing outwardly, the wheels running along the top of the levers, which act as a track for that purpose.

I have found, however, that in a press so constructed, when the doors are closed, or are in a perpendicular position, and the levers assume a horizontal position, or nearly so, the levers act against the lower ends of the doors with too much of a lifting movement, or in a direct line with the doors, causing the parts to cramp, frequently breakin g both the wheels and their mountings.

To obviate this I make use of the long curved arm K, which is attached to the outer side of the door, as shown in the drawing, and has, its curved end resting upon the upper side of the main lever b, at some distance from the door when the lever is in a horizontal position, or nearly so, and the door is closed.

This construction and arrangement of the arm afford a leverage for easily prying open the door, as will be readily understood by all conversant with such matters Without a more explicit description.

In the press of said Noyes the door H is also secured, when closed, by means of a system of bell-crank and other levers, which are liable to become deranged, and are quite expensive to construct.

To simplify and improve this part of the mechanism I make use of the catch M, attached to the follower of the press, and the hook L, attached to the lower end of the door, the hook being integral with the lever K.

In the operation of the mechanism the parts are so timed that the hook passes a short distance under the edge of the follower, (not shown,) to which the catch M is attached, just prior to the stopping of the follower in its downward journey, or in such a manner that, as the follower advances, after the door is in a vertical position, the catch and hook interlock and firmly secure it. When the lever 1) is moved in a direction to open the door the follower is raised thereby sufficiently to disengage the catch and hook before the door begins to swing outwardly, thus, it will be seen, locking and unlocking the door automatically.

The door may be closed by means of the spring J, or the weight Q and cord 0, or both, as preferred.

The other parts of the mechanism are common to most presses of this class, and therefore no novelty is claimed for the same, and a more particular description is deemed unnecessary, the distinguishing features of my invention being the lever K, hook L, and catch M, arranged to operate as shown.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is-- 1. In a hay-press substantially such as shown,

the door H, provided with the hook L, in com bination with a follower provided with the catch M, arranged to operate substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a hay-press substantiall such as shown, the curved lever K, in combination with the doorH and lever b, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a hay-press constructed and operating substantiallyas shown, the lever K and hook L, made of one piece, in combination with the catch M, door H, and lever b, as and for the purpose described.

HENRY E. SKILLIN. Witnesses:

W. W. SKILLIN, B. J. SKILLIN. 

